Quick Fix: Wacken Metal Battles, The ShakeDown, John Mayer tribute

In your Monday headlines: shortlisted bands for the Wacken Metal Battles have been announced, Mumbai gets a new hip-hop night this weekend, and Dream Makers Entertainment plan a tribute to John Mayer at the Blue Frog, Mumbai.

There’s a lot happening in the world of Indian indie music and culture every day. We thought we’d give you the pick of the daily news, served up right here in one handy spot. This is your Quick Fix.

Wacken Metal Battle India elimination lineups announced
We announced earlier that this year’s edition of the Indian leg of Wacken Metal Battle would take place this month. Well, the registrations have now been closed and bands have been shortlisted for the elimination battles. The battles are scheduled to take place in Guwahati on June 16, in Bangalore on June 22 and in Mumbai on June 30. While the Mumbai leg of the battle will see Bangalore bands Kryptos and Bevar Sea (pictured) and Mumbai horror metal act Albatross headline the gig, the headliners for the other two legs have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, check out dates and shortlisted bands for the Wacken Metal Battles below:

The winning bands play the semifinal round in Bangalore on June 5, and the finalists play Bangalore Open Air on June 6. Stay tuned for more news from Bangalore Open Air.

The ShakeDown @ SMAAASH announced
Mumbai sports bar/arcade SMAAASH, which has been hosting some excellent EDM nights in the form of the monthly Smash UPs, now gets a new hip-hop night. The ShakeDown, which takes place at the Lower Parel venue on Friday, June 14, is an old-school hip-hop gig, complete with MCs and performances by street dance crew Kundu Dance. Taking over the decks for the night are hip hop DJ Iron Kutz, Delhi hip hop/trap DJ Su-Real and the bass-heavy DiabolikAL. The gig kicks off at 9.00pm. Check out a poster below, and more details on the Facebook event page.

Shake it down.

Dream Makers to produce John Mayer tribute
Tuesday, June 11 at Blue Frog, Mumbai, will see a tribute to John Mayer. Produced by Dream Makers Entertainment, the show attempts to bring Mayer’s Where The Light Is, a live album recorded at Mayer’s 2007 performance at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, onto the Blue Frog stage. The L.A performance saw Mayer perform three sets, a solo acoustic set followed by a set with the John Mayer Trio, and then a set with his touring band. The Blue Frog gig will follow the same format, going from a solo performance, to a trio, to a full band, with a 17-piece ensemble in total. Dream Makers hopes to bring little bit of the Nokia Theatre onto the stage, with a replica of Steve Jordan’s drum kit. The lineup includes percussionist Vivaan Kapoor, Reuel Benedict on vocals, Apurv Isaac (The Family Cheese) on guitars, Modern Mafia/Bhayanak Maut bassist Ishaan Krishna, and will also feature appearances by several other artists from the Dream Makers roster. The tribute kicks off at 9.00pm, and entry is Rs 350, or Rs 1000 with full cover.

That’s all the news for today. Stay tuned for more daily editions of the Quick Fix.